It is being reported this evening that the Houston Texans have granted permission to veteran receiver Andre Johnson and his agent to seek a trade. The Houston Chronicle reports that is a trade cannot be worked out, the team will simply release the team’s all-time leading receiver. With the Texans moving in another direction and Johnson soon to be 34 years of age, his base salary of $10.5 million in 2015 is simply too much for the Texans to absorb. Despite reports in recent weeks that Johnson was willing to take a pay cut, the team appears ready to move on with DeAndre Hopkins filling the role of number one receiver. So what’s in store for Johnson here in the twilight of his career?

Certainly the 12-year veteran would like the opportunity to move on to a team poised to win a championship. If that is the case, the veteran receiver who has never logged double digit touchdowns in a season, is going to have to come at a massive discount. The New England Patriots are always rumored to be in the mix for a veteran receiver, but as they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy this year, they did so with the likes of Julian Edleman and Danny Amendola catching passes from Tom Brady. Nothing new here. Move along.

The runners-up last year in the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks, could use some receiving help and Johnson’s big body would help the squad right out of the gate. However, how does he fit in the cap situation? According to several various websites which track salary cap numbers, Seattle is about $25 million under the cap with QB Russell Wilson needing a new deal and Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh tossing out hints that he would like to play for the Seahawks next season.

There are several potential landing spots for Johnson if he’s just all about the money. Oakland, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Minnesota. San Francisco and Philadelphia pose some interesting options as well. The Niners have a new coaching regime, I believe they take a step back in 2015. The quarterback situation is not quite clear in Philly. Is Nick Foles the man or not?

The team I think would be a perfect fit for Andre Johnson is the Indianapolis Colts. The team is right on the cusp of the Super Bowl. Andrew Luck continues to improve every season. This team is $44 million dollars under the salary cap. WR Reggie Wayne is running on fumes. Bring Johnson in, you can get three seasons out of him, provide some veteran leadership in the locker room while giving your quarterback a receiver that will log well over 80 catches a year while possessing a massive frame down around the goal line.

Texans fans are not going to like the suggestion, throwing out the option of Johnson going to a divisional rival, but it just makes sense. He has languished in Houston for far too long. Yes, his skills are declining, but he’s going to be 34 in July. He is still a 80-900-9 stat line kind of guy. Reggie Wayne wasn’t that kind of guy last season and pairing Johnson up with T.Y Hilton, it could be a special offense next season.

The New England Patriots walked away with a 28-24 victory in Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday evening. Once again, in the Belichick/Brady era, another Super Bowl decided by 4 points or less. This victory however, had less to do with the Patriots offense, and more to do with horrific play calling by the Seattle Seahawks.

The decision to throw the football with 30 seconds remaining on the one yard line after RB Marshawn Lynch had been gashing the Patriots defense in the second half will go down in Super Bowl history. Seattle was just three feet from becoming one of the very few teams to ever go back-to-back victors in the big game, but instead come out of Arizona looking ridiculous.

Why you call a slant play on the one-yard line with a pass intended for WR Ricardo Lockette with 26 seconds and a timeout remaining is just mind blowing. Lockette had just 11 receptions for 195 yards during the 2014 regular season.

Many people I spoke with over the last two weeks thought that the Seahawks were just lucky to be in the position to play in the Super Bowl. I believed that they were a better team and should have won this game.

Minutes after the game, social media erupted with Patriots and Michigan fans wanting to anoint Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all time. Sit back for a moment homers. Yes, Brady played well, despite his runny nose. He did nothing spectacular in this game. He was 26 seconds away from another Super Bowl loss. This wasn’t a Joe Montana moment. Some of my younger readers will have to Google who he is. He’s not just some creepy guy that makes cameos on Papa Johns pizza commercials.

Seattle head coach Pete Carroll owns up to the play call on the goal line, but I think it’s outrageous. 26 seconds with one time out remaining, Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. What the hell are you thinking?

There is no doubt that this outcome is going to be debated all this week and beyond. This is one of the things that makes this sport so engaging. It’s a 20 week season, 16 regular season games, so everything is magnified, and then amplified in the post-season.

Could-A, Would-A, Should-A. Seattle should have won Super Bowl XLIX, but they didn’t. Hats off to the Patriots, but to the pundits and fans crowning Tom Brady as the best ever quarterback? Step back. Brady had nothing to do with the last drive of the game.

Yes, he played well, he got a second MVP trophy as well, but he was not the difference maker in this game. The Patriots came away with a win. However, anyone with any semblance of knowledge of the game of football realizes that they were very lucky to come away with a win. Kudos to Brady and Belichick.

The final game of the 2014 NFL season is in the books and after many will be reviewing the outcome of the Super Bowl XLIX Sunday, many businesses will be trying to determine how their advertisements were received on Sunday. Companies shelled out a record setting $4.5 million for a 30-second ad this year, but every Super Bowl sets a new record each year in revenue as the game continues to grow each and every season. So who scored and who bombed in 2015? Just some random thoughts. Most companies wasted their money in 2015.

NBC used their platform to pimp out their playlist of shows, including the Today Show. Nothing remarkable there.

As usual, there were a lot of trailers for upcoming movies. The only movie I really am looking forward to is Ted 2. It took me a while to watch the original Ted and after I watched it, I wondered why I waited so long.

A Fast and Furious 7? You lost me at 2. Jurassic World? Haven’t we seen this before?

Budweiser will come in on many rankings in the top three if not top spot with their use once again of animals. This year, the puppy returns. The company always uses some animal in most of their Super Bowl ads. Dogs, horses, lizards, frogs-whatever. Animals and kids work, it’s proven, but it’s getting tired. How about something fresh? If they wanted something fresh, they went to bizzaro world with the Bud Light commercial and human PacMan. Massive fail.

McDonalds- Your product is in trouble. You are losing money and market share. So now, if I come in for lunch you might make me do something stupid or call my mother to give me a free Big Mac? Your commercials show nice, friendly servers taking orders, with no one in line. Perhaps the ad company ought to get out and about the country and actually visit some McDonalds stores during lunch hour. There isn’t going to be any dancing in line for a free burger.

Since I am a waterman, I have to give major props to the Carnival Cruise Line “Come back to the Sea” campaign. You want “salt in the blood”? Come with me on a weekend trip in January. Could have helped you with that just 36 hours ago.

Nationwide- The Mindy Kaling ad. It sucked even though Matt Damon made a cameo. Stick to Peyton Manning.

Esurance-Breaking Bad reference. Just not picking up what you are laying down. Have never watched a second of the show. Cooking meth- really not my thing.

Mexican Avocados- Just how much money is Mexico spending on advertising avocados? We get it, they are the key ingredient in making guacamole but was it that important to spend $4.5 million coupled with the millions you spend elsewhere? How about spending millions less and making my Haas avocado a little less expensive at the grocery store?

DreamwithJeff.com- Squarespace.com lost me right here. I am not going to the website simply because the ad was just a little too creepy. It was disturbing. It was a waste of millions of dollars.

All you Facebook gamers that play “free” games, did you happen to notice four ads for your favorite “free” games? $18 million spent on free ads with Liam Neeson appearing in one of them. There is nothing free other than air.

Jublia- $4.5 million spent on an ad for toenail fungus. Nothing says I’ll have another couple chicken wings more than watching a commercial for toenail fungus. I guess this is yet another crisis and will likely become a qualifier for disability payments.

Loctite- For millions of people, Sunday was the first day that many millions have ever heard of you. I’ve used your product as have many millions of professionals around the country for many years. You have a good product. Your advertising campaign manager sucks. The offering was a bit disturbing.

TurboTax- You can stick it up your ass baby. In this day and age where everyone has to be hyper-sensitive to race and gender as to not to offend, you just offended me with your portrayal of the men and women that led to the creation of this nation. Free tax filings huh? You spent $4.5 million to sign up people for free? No government kickbacks for inking them up for “free” phones, enrollment in “free” healthcare or anything else?

GEICO- STOP. Stop spending millions while trying to recycle celebrities 20 years past their prime. Salt N Peppa? I am really beyond the Hump day commercial and I am really so disgusted with the Icky Woods cold cut commercial I might not eat another sub until June. I know you are an insurance company. If your prices were better, we’d have you insure our cars instead of State Farm. Take notice Progressive, we already fired you.

I did like some of the offerings.

I thought the Wix.com ad with the NFL stars was nice. I thought the Mercedes-Benz ad with the tortoise and the hare ad was well done. Dodge did a nice job with their Last 100 years advertisement.

Well done by BMW by illustrating how out of touch hosts of the Today Show are with the i3 ad. Gumbel and Couric have no base in reality and while they thought their participation in the ad was funny, it really does illustrate how these people have no idea how millions of us live each and every day.

Victoria’s Secret- Do I really need to explain this?

My favorite advertisements-

I have to say, in recent years, Doritos has now become the new Budweiser. And once again, I think they nailed it. I really liked their two offerings this year, “When Pigs Fly” and “Middle Seat”.

My favorite commercial of the Super Bowl was the Fiat 500X “Blue Pill” commercial. I guess according to various sites, this commercial has been online for several weeks prior to the Super Bowl, but I don’t troll the Internet looking for ads. I thought it was new, fresh and funny, something all Super Bowl ads should be.

So, as companies spent more money in 30 seconds than I will make in a lifetime to lure me in to buying their product, this is my review of how well they spent their money. Actually, nothing has changed. I’m not rushing to McDonalds. We are not switching insurance companies. I’m not playing “free” online games. I’m not going on a cruise. Will continue to drink Bud Light. So life continues.

Tens of millions of dollars were spent on ads Sunday. In the grand scheme of things, nothing was life changing. We all will get up and go to work Monday morning. Sure, there will be some discussion about the game and the commercials, but does the money spent really change our lives? I think not.

In the blink of an eye, 20 weeks of football have flown past us and we now are faced with the dichotomy of watching the biggest game of the year while being faced with 6 months of no actual football being played on the field. Sure, there will be draft news, arrests and massive speculation with the start of the free agency period, but there is nothing quite like it when toe hits leather and actual games are being played. But today, we get to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

My preseason prediction was for the Green Bay Packers to be playing the New England Patriots this afternoon, but they simply left too many points on the field in the first half when they could have put the Seahawks away. I’ve heard comments this week that the Seahawks are lucky, they shouldn’t be in the Super Bowl. I disagree.

Super Bowl XLIX marks the first time that two former Super Bowl winning quarterbacks will face off against each other. While the NFL has become a pass oriented league over the past decade, I have a feeling that tonight’s game is going to have an old school feeling. Both teams have exceptional defensive backfields and feature some of the best cornerbacks in the game. That is going to curtail the productivity of the outside receivers. I could expect that at the final whistle, both respective tightends- Luke Wilson and Rob Gronkowski being the top receivers of each team.

Some random thoughts about today’s game-

If I am the Patriots, I come out and run right at Seattle CB Richard Sherman to test that elbow issue.

The New England Patriots have not recorded a sack in their two post-season games. Seattle QB Russell Wilson was the Seahawks leading rushing this season with 849 yards. The Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback is 67 yards, I am confident that number is falling this afternoon.

This season, if the Patriots allow 40 yards or less to running backs that run up the middle, between the guards, they are 10-0. If they allow over 40 yards, their record is 2-4. I believe Lynch goes well above 40 yards up the middle this afternoon.

In his short career, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is 10-0 in games in which he’s faced Super Bowl winning quarterbacks.

While the New York Jets are not a Super Bowl caliber team, they were coached by a very good defensive coach, Rex Ryan this past year. You could say that the Jets are a poor man’s version of Seattle with their front seven, but still a work in progress. The Patriots beat the Jets in both games this past regular season but by only a combined 3 points. The Jets put the most quarterback hits on QB Tom Brady this year. I fully expect the same from the Seattle front four and some blitzes this afternoon.

The way to beat Brady and the Patriots methodical offense, is harassment. Seattle’s defense only registered 37 sacks on the year, but they pressure opposing defenses.

Game Predictions-

Seattle-

QB Russell Wilson- 227 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, one touchdown

RB Marshawn Lynch- 152 rushing yards 1 touchdown

TE Luke Wilson- 101 yards receiving

New England-

QB Tom Brady- 252 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

RB LeGarrette Blount- 86 rushing yards

TE Rob Gronkowski- 93 yards, one touchdown

This game comes down to old-style, smash-mouth football. I can see Seattle, barring a turnover, controlling the clock for 38 minutes of the game utilizing a short, controlled passing attack and putting their trio of running backs in play. In the end, I see Seattle as having too many young, energetic players on the defensive front they rotate which will bring a lot of pressure on Tom Brady.

Final Prediction- Seattle 23-New England 19

]]>http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2015/02/the-ultimate-super-bowl-xliv-prediction-column/feed/0Lovie Smith should not feel secure after a failed 2014 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneershttp://www.thepigskinreport.com/2014/12/lovie-smith-should-not-feel-secure-after-a-failed-2014-season-with-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers/
http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2014/12/lovie-smith-should-not-feel-secure-after-a-failed-2014-season-with-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers/#commentsWed, 17 Dec 2014 01:49:16 +0000http://www.thepigskinreport.com/?p=25427

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not even sniffed the post season after firing Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden after the 2008 season when the team finished with a 9-7 record. They experimented for two seasons each with Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano. Both were failed experiments. 2014 is resulting in even worse results. Former Tony Dungy disciple Lovie Smith has presided over a team which has been a trainwreck and with two more likely losses, will be the worst regular season finish in nearly 30 years.

Morris and Schiano had no experience as a head coach in the NFL when the Buccaneers hired the respective coaches. After continued failed seasons, the front office made a decision to hire Lovie Smith. Yes, Lovie took a team to the Super Bowl, and lost. His demeanor on the sidelines is basically a flatline. This is a Buccaneers coach that was given a wide open checkbook. He made more free agent transactions than any other team in the NFL. These were his teams for the most part on the roster.

One of his first moves was to sign journeyman quarterback Josh McCown to a 2-year deal. McCown was the golden child by many last year in the free agent market after posting career highs while filling in for an injured Jay Cutler. McCown has been a total disaster under center for the Buccaneers this season. He is nothing more than a massive turnover machine.

While Lovie was the head coach in Chicago, the offensive line was always an issue. His trends haven’t changed while his zip code has. The Buccaneers offensive line has been horrible this entire season. The Tampa offense has scored over 17 points just three times in 14 games to date. That is not a winning formula in the NFL. The team looks routinely ill-prepared for games. Tampa is usually saddled with stupid or ridiculous penalties.

This is a team that was handed over to a coach which took a team to the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers made the most free agent moves of any team in the league. Lovie Smith was given an open checkbook. The result is two wins in 14 games and likely 2 wins in the 16 game regular season. A horrible result for a team which has some talent on the roster but likely ends up with the first overall draft pick in 2015. And here’s to the pundits back in September calling the Buccaneers the darkhorse team to crack the playoffs this season. Yeaaaaaahhhhhh, how’s that prediction working out for ya?

Pundits will suggest that Lovie Smith is safe after this season. I say no he’s not. Yes, he is guaranteed $15 million for the next 3 seasons but so was Jon Gruden when he was fired. Gruden went 9-7 in his final year and won three division titles and a Super Bowl before being fired. Smith might reign in over a team with the worst franchise record in nearly 30 years. Make no mistake about it, this is his team. He made more free agent moves than any other NFL franchise and swept the roster clean. If 2-14 in the NFC South this season is all he can offer up, perhaps the Buccaneers management ought to think about moving on from the aura surrounding Lovie Smith.

If he completes his work properly, the Buccaneers will have the first selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. If all Lovie can post up with the current roster of Buccaneers is two wins, should the front office trust him with making a selection first overall in the next draft?

]]>http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2014/12/lovie-smith-should-not-feel-secure-after-a-failed-2014-season-with-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers/feed/0NFL Rumors: Coaches on the Hot Seat Heading into final two weeks of the seasonhttp://www.thepigskinreport.com/2014/12/nfl-rumors-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-heading-into-final-two-weeks-of-the-season/
http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2014/12/nfl-rumors-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-heading-into-final-two-weeks-of-the-season/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 18:37:19 +0000http://www.thepigskinreport.com/?p=25425

In the blink of an eye, the NFL season has seemingly come and gone with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Black Monday, not a shopping day, but a firing day, is looming on the horizon for what might amount to as many as 10 NFL head coaches being released this season. There are some obvious candidates to be fired in the final weeks, as they entered this year with a very short leash. However, the most curious candidate to be released is Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers. So which coaches might be on the hottest seats come December 29th?

Red Hot Seats-

Rex Ryan, New York Jets- I see no way possible that Ryan remains for another year with the Jets. The team has been a disaster this year and ownership needs to make some serious changes moving forward. There are serious concerns at the quarterback position. Geno Smith and Michael Vick are not answers, at this point, they aren’t even stop gap measures.

Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears- The media percieved quarterback whisperer has not delivered anything with Jay Cutler. I believe what will determine whether Trestman stays or goes will be his involvement in the Cutler contract extension. If he was pushing for it, he’s gone. This franchise is a mess. A mess with some pretty decent talent although Matt Forte is coming to the end of his run in the backfield.

Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers- Rumors had Rivera gone at the start of the 2013 season if he didn’t deliver and he put together a divisional champion last season with a beast of a defense. 2014 has not replayed the same results. In his defense, the top three pass catchers in 2013 were moved but Rivera and his crew did hit a home run by drafting Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who has been a difference maker. The entire NFC South has been atrocious this year and even if the Panthers finish 7-8-1, I don’t believe Rivera keeps his job.

Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons- Falcons owner Arthur Blank has been more than patient with Mike Smith. Smith was able to turn the franchise around, deliver back-to-back winning records for the first time in franchise history, but the team is withering away. The offensive and defensive sides of the ball need to be addressed. The lack of a Tony Gonzalez at tight end has been evident this year. The team gave up too much in the draft to acquire WR Julio Jones and the free agent signing of a broken down RB Steven Jackson was a waste of money.

Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers- All rumors point to him being out of the Bay area after the Niners last game. I had a source confirm this to me this morning who stated Harbaugh is making plans to move his operation to Ann Arbor next year. I suppose we won’t ever find out the real reason there is such a rift in the Niners organization with Harbaugh and the front office, but they will miss him next year. This is a ridiculous move for a team that had a head coach that went 43-17-1 in the regular season and 5-3 in the post season heading into last week.

Seat’s not flaming hot, but still uncomfortable-

Tony Sparano, Oakland Raiders- If Jim Harbaugh does depart San Francisco for the University of Michigan, you know the franchise will be disappointed. Sparano is nothing more than a stop-gap coach who replaced Dennis Allen. Oakland has struggled to find a coach since Jon Gruden was traded away. Will the Raiders reach into the college ranks for a new head coach?

Doug Marrone, Buffalo Bills- The Bills have given up on QB E.J. Manuel, and rightfully so. Buffalo has new ownership heading into 2015 and might want to clean house in the front office right down to the head coach. I think that would be a mistake for next season. Quarterback continues to be a position of concern moving forward, but the Bills could reach the playoffs next year with just a couple additions and Kyle Orton under center. This team has a smothering defense and Marrone should be given at least one more year.

Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins- Ranking 14th in rushing offense was a bit of a surprise this year. The passing attack is still lacking. I believe the complacent ownership will retain Philbin for yet another season of mediocrity.

Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars- Bradley came into a no-win situation when he was hired. The Jaguars were a horrible team. Yes, he’s gone 6-23 in his first two years to this point, but he is putting a solid defensive unit together and finally doesen’t have to deal with Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne at quarterback. Add some pieces and give Bradley another year.

Lovie Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Lovie was going to be the savior of the Buccaneers after failed experiments with Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano. After making the most moves in free agency of any NFL team, Smith is on the precipice of delivering the worst Buccaneers regular season in 30 years. The team has no quarterback. The offensive line is…..offensive. The Tampa-2 defensive scheme that rocked it 14 years ago, is old. Yes, Smith has 15 million in guaranteed money for the next three seasons, but Gruden was fired with the same amount guaranteed after he posted a 9-7 record and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Tampa just a few years previous. If Smith is retained for the 2015 season, he is on a very short leash.

Well, in just two weeks time, there might be as many as 10 coaching vacancies around the NFL. Jon Gruden, a staple name associated with any coaching vacancy, can be removed from any list for at least 2015. ESPN has announced that the former Oakland Raiders and Super Bowl winning coach of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers has signed a contract extension in order to remain ensconced behind the Monday Night Football microphone through 2021.

Now his contract will likely not guarantee that he will remain at ESPN through that time period, but I would have to suggest that it might. His window on returning to the NFL just as Bill Cowher’s, might be closing. Gruden joined the ESPN family in 2009 but has not been on the sidelines since 2008 after he was fired by the Glazer family after a 9-7 record following a catastrophic December collapse.

2015 will mark eight years since Gruden has been actively in the NFL coaching ranks. While he does get the advantage of running his ESPN show, Gruden’s QB camp and he gets the opportunity to see various teams around the league, tendencies have changed in the short time since he has patrolled the sidelines.

For the coach that famously woke up at # a.m. every morning, I think he might enjoy his latest gig on ESPN with a lot less stress. He had a rocky transition to the football announcing booth, but he’s come around and is really one of the more entertaining broadcasters of NFL around these days. I’d be really surprised if he ever returns to coaching.

Several sites like to do NFL Power Rankings every week, even in the offseason. I tend to wait until we get an actual feel for whats happening on the field. With the limited amount of workouts that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) allows, the first month of the regular season feels like an extended preseason. Most teams have not hit their peak yet and this is the time of the year where I start to do my Power Rankings. Surprises are always in store for the NFL, and this season is no different.

NFL Power Rankings-Week 8

1. Denver Broncos- Peyton Manning continues his regular season dominance. Very large game looming for the Broncos this week against the Patriots.

2. New England Patriots- Everyone was ready to write New England off after week four. Instead, the Patriots come back and blow out four games, scoring 158 points. Brady has 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last four contests. And, in case you missed it, Gronkowski is back.

3. Arizona Cardinals- Bruce Arians has to win coach of the year. He’s winning games with Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.

4. Dallas Cowboys- Not ready to move this club down as far as many will after losing to the Redskins on Monday night. It was a divisional game. Tony Romo was knocked around. However, the Redskins were able to exploit the Cowboys defense and offensive line. Big game on Sunday against the Cardinals.

5. Cincinnati Bengals- The upcoming schedule is very favorable for this team.

6. Detroit Lions- When does Calvin Johnson finally return to the lineup? They have reeled off three wins in a row, and are playing very good defensive football.

7. Indianapolis Colts- The Colts had been playing good defensive football and I almost took them out of the top 10, but they still have Andrew Luck under center and will run away with the AFC South.

8. New Orleans Saints- Despite defensive issues, the Saints are on the march to take the NFC South crown. Quite the offensive explosion on Sunday night.

9. Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles got some help from the Redskins Monday night. QB Nick Foles is on pace to throw 21 interceptions this season after tossing just three last season.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers- Yes, Ben Roethlisberger had a day for the ages on Sunday, tossing a franchise record six touchdowns. However, this is the same team that lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

12. Baltimore Ravens- Will the real Ravens please stand up?

13. San Francisco 49ers- Coming off a bye, facing a banged up St. Louis team. They need a dominant win to make a statement.

15. Kansas City Chiefs- Making a move in the AFC West after a slow start. RB Jamaal Charles now has 25 touchdowns since the start of the 2013 season, the most of any non-quarterback in the league during that period.

16. San Diego Chargers- Reeling after two straight divisional losses. What has happened to RB Brandon Oliver?

17. Buffalo Bills- A complete beatdown of the New York Jets on Sunday. Then again, they played the Jets. Running backs Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon combined to only run for 2 yards per carry, that is a major concern moving forward.

18. Houston Texans- Not enough talent at the quarterback position for this team to make a run at the playoffs.

19. Miami Dolphins- Three wins in the last four games over very suspect defenses. Win this week over San Diego and I’ll move you up.

20. Cleveland Browns- Yes, they are winning ugly, but at least they are winning. And Johnny Football remains on the sidelines.

21. Washington Redskins- Nice win on Monday night Washington. You still have an issue at quarterback and you need one in order to compete in the NFL.

22. Chicago Bears- Wasn’t this supposed to be the year for the Bears to make a statement under Marc Trestman? The statement is, we still stink.

23. New York Giants- The Giants have scored just 21 points in their last eight quarters of football after teasing the NFL with a three-game win streak. Tom Coughlin bows out at the end of this year. He’s had enough.

24. Carolina Panthers- What happened to that Panthers defense from 2013? Ron Rivera could be feeling some heat if this current slide continues.

25. Minnesota Vikings- A road win in Tampa. Yawn. There are some skill players on this team and the future does look promising. 2014? Not so much.

26. Tennessee Titans- Head coach Ken Whisenhunt is known for his work with quarterbacks. Too bad his team doesn’t have one.

28. St. Louis Rams- Injuries seemingly mount every year with the Rams. Maybe the warmer climate of Los Angeles will benefit the Rams players in the future.

29. Oakland Raiders- The only reason I am ranking the Raiders higher than the last three losing franchises is because I like rookie QB Derek Carr. He shows some promise. Other than that, every other facet of the team is lousy.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The defensive genius known as Lovie Smith has put a unit on the field that allows opposing teams to convert third downs at a 47% rate. This team does nothing well. See how bad this team really is.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars- Jag fans are used to being ranked down here at the bottom. Rookie QB Blake Bortles has a league leading 12 interceptions and four of them were pick-six plays. Temper yourself. Peyton Manning threw 28 picks in his rookie year, give him a better supporting cast.

Mike Smith did something no other head coach in Atlanta Falcons history was ever able to achieve. He provided the franchise with first ever back-to-back winning seasons. He built a team that was a staple in the NFC playoff picture albeit, the Falcons were generally a one-and-done team with Matt Ryan only having one playoff win under his belt. However, in recent years, the Falcons have fallen on hard times and while many thought the disappointment from last season was a mere hiccup, 2014 is not treating the Falcons too kindly.

Last year in the column, I wrote how head coach Mike Smith might be on the hotseat for 2014. The Falcon faithful scoffed at me. They claimed the injury to WR Julio Jones was the primary reason Atlanta stumbled last year. Well, all NFL teams have to deal with injury and last season showed a lack of depth on the club. This year, injuries have ravaged the Falcons’ offensive line. But is this enough of a reason to give Mike Smith another year at the helm of the franchise?

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution did a little fact checking. Since the Falcons blew a 17 point playoff lead against the San Francisco 49ers in 2012, the Falcons are a paltry 6-18. Atlanta just blew a 21 point lead to the Detroit Lions in London and were defeated 22-21. In the fourth quarter of their last six games, the Falcons have been outscored 70-7. They have been outscored 85-38 in the second half of their last five games. Sure they have offensive line injuries, but the offensive line doesn’t play defense.

Atlanta got out to a 21 -point lead over a Detroit team that is playing good defensive football right now. They were unable to close out the game.

According to ajc.com, 81% of Falcons fans that responded to an online poll don’t think that Mike Smith can turn this season around as they sit 2-6 in a very weak division.

I doubt that owner Arthur Blank makes a move at this point in the season, but anything less than a .500 finish should seal his fate moving forward. Atlanta mortgaged the future in 2011 in order to move up in the draft and select WR Julio Jones. He was going to be the missing piece that took the Falcons to the promised land. Yes, he’s a dynamic player, but they lost a lot in the way of draft picks and the team is struggling to remain relevant at this point.

Smith was asked by reporters if he felt his job was in jeopardy. He has no concerns at this point. Smith told the media, “No. None whatsoever. We’re going to do what we’ve done for the last six-plus years and prepare each and every week like we know how to do it. And I’m going to continue to do that until Mr. Blank tells me otherwise.”

Week Eight of the regular season concluded this evening as the underdog Washington Redskins knock off the Dallas Cowboys as one of the NFL most heated rivalries renewed Monday night. The mid-season mark of the regular season provided some very exciting and high scoring contests. As the season unfolds, each week brings some new surprises. So what did we learn in Week Eight?

The vaunted offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys was perplexed by the defensive looks the Redskins presented all night. RB DeMarco Murray posted another big night, but he’s on pace to have 477 total touches this season. There is no way he holds up all season under that workload.

Nine quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards in the pass driven league. Four elder statesmen of the game- Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees- combined to go 122 for 151-1,473 yards-17 touchdowns and no interceptions. Hard to believe that Roethlisberger, who threw six scores, is now in his 11th season.

The New Orleans Saints appeared to be making a run in the weak NFC South. Could someone please tell head coach Sean Payton to stop the running back by committee approach and simply feed Mark Ingram the ball as a primary ball carrier?

The Seattle Seahawks finally got back in the win column on Sunday but exactly why is Marshawn Lynch’s workload decreasing this season?

Three head coaches appear to be dead men coaching for the remainder of the season- Falcons’ Mike Smith, Jets’ Rex Ryan and Raiders’ Dennis Allen.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles is having trouble adjusting to the speed of the NFL game in the regular season. He is leading the league with 12 interceptions at this point, four of which have been returned for touchdowns going the other way. Stick with him Jacksonville. He doesn’t have a great supporting cast around him and remember- Peyton Manning tossed 28 picks his rookie season.

The Kansas City Chiefs were written off a few weeks ago. They are suddenly back in the playoff discussion. The San Diego Chargers now have 2 division losses. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles now has 25 touchdowns since Week One of the 2013 season- the most of any non-quarterback during that span.

Speaking of being written off, the New England Patriots are back from their 41-14 defeat at the hands of the Chiefs and are back to blowing opponents out in games. New England has scored 158 points in the last four games while Tom Brady is suddenly red hot. The ageless one has 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last four contests.

Bruce Arians deserves coach of the year consideration at this point. After posting a 10-6 record in his first year in Arizona and missing the playoffs last season, Arians has the Cardinals in the drivers seat in the NFC West this season with a two game division lead. He also has Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton as his quarterbacks.

The Buffalo Bills might be knocking on the door to the playoffs this season. Injuries to running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller might hurt the offense but Kyle Orton is playing better than EJ Manuel and Buffalo has a solid defensive unit. Given their remaining schedule, Buffalo should win 9 games.

As bad as the Oakland Raiders are, and they’re bad, I like rookie QB Derek Carr. Of all the rookies in this year’s draft class, I like where his game is at at this point. He needs a much better supporting cast. He’ll have a new head coach next season.

Johnny Manziel has yet to start a game for the Cleveland Browns. The over-hyped rookie spends his Sundays on the sidelines with a clipboard and a ski cap. That must be bad for his image when he goes clubbing.

Speaking of clubbing, Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is coming off a monster weekend. He went full blown Gronk against the Bears with 9 receptions for 149 yards and three scores. A few more games like that and the internet will be flooded with pictures of him posing with strippers and porn stars once again. Please stay healthy Gronk.

Does someone at the Detroit Lions facility have Eddie Murray or Jason Hanson’s phone number? The Lions are a league worst 47% on field goal attempts this season. If not for a delay of game penalty Sunday in London, they would be 0-8 from the 40-49 yard range. That used to be the money range for the Lions. 17 NFL teams are perfect from that range so far this year.

The ball seemed to bounce the right way for Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles last season. In 13 games, Foles threw 27 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. Foles has tossed nine picks so far this season and is on pace for 21 interceptions. That isn’t going endear him to second-year head coach Chip Kelly.

Lovie Smith had an open checkbook from the Buccaneers front office this offseason. Tampa led the league in free agent signings and the roster changes have not made a difference. Tampa has just one more win at the week eight mark than they had in 2013 under Greg Schiano. The team has two overtime losses and is winless at home. Smith, known as a defensive genius has the Buccaneers at a -90 point differential and only the Oakland Raiders defense is worse in the league stopping opponents on third down.

Can we simply hand the Defensive Player of the Year award to J.J. Watt right now? Watt is a force on the field. 32 tackles, 7 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 7 passes defensed, 1 interception return for a touchdown, 1 fumble recovery and three forced fumbles. His talents are being wasted with the Houston Texans. A player of this caliber deserves a shot at a Super Bowl trophy.